Fate*World!

You may have seen that Dungeon World won RPGGeek’s Best of RPGs Tournament, with our own Fate being the final game it defeated. That means Fate is passe, and it’s time to jump onto the winning team. With that, I’m totally converting the Fate rules to Dungeon World.

Core Rules

I’m going to take the Fate Accelerated approach of not making a big rulebook, and letting people figure out where the boundaries are. Also, I’m going to take the Fate Accelerated approach of offering this for free, but I wouldn’t say no to a $5 tip. By which I mean a bourbon and coke at a convention.[1]

Player Moves

When you’re overcoming an obstacle, roll+approach. On a 10+, you succeed with style; gain a boost related to your action. On a 7-9, you succeed. On a 6-, the GM offers you success at a cost or makes a hard move. Simple.

When you’re creating an advantage, roll+approach. On a 10+, you succeed with style; give your advantage an additional invocation. On a 7-9, you succeed; note down the advantage. On a 6-, the GM offers you success at a cost or makes a hard move. Rock on, this conversion is easy. Why didn’t we do this years ago?

When you’re trying to harm someone, roll+approach. On a…crap, uh. Hang on, I think I have something here. Oh, right, I need to be using the DW HP mechanic? On a 10+, inflict 4dF of damage. Ignore minuses? Hmm. Let’s say “minimum 1.” On a 7-9, you just hit for 1 stress. On a 6-, the GM offers you success at a cost or makes a hard move. Maybe if you have a Weapon rating thing, that adds to it. *shrug*

When someone is trying to harm you, roll+approach. On a 10+, success with style! You gain a boost. On a 7-9, you aren’t hit. On a 6-, you take some stress. I don’t know how many. 1? 5? 800? Numbers are hard.

When you’re trying to prevent someone else from overcoming or creating an advantage, use the overcoming move. I mean, c’mon.

When you use a boost or free invocation, take +1 forward. Cross off that boost or free invocation.

When you use invoke an aspect, pay a fate point and take +1 forward.

GM Moves

When you compel someone, the choose one:

Take the fate point and follow the compel

Pay a fate point and refuse the compel

Negotiate

When you declare stuff, maybe it’s an aspect? Maybe not? Who knows.

This conversion is getting hard. Should have asked Leonard Balsera to do half of the work.

GM Agenda & Principles & Stuff

Creating Characters

GAH. I thought I was done! Right, characters. This is getting less simple by the minute. Let’s see… Dungeon World is focused around a particular set of narratives, and Fate isn’t so much. Screw it, I know how to roll.

First, pick a class or playbook or something from any *World game. This is Fate*World, yo. We can roll with whatever.

Second, whatever harm or hit point system that has, I guess scratch that out and replace it with three stress boxes? Oh, crap, I forgot about working consequences into the core moves above. I’m totally certain I’ll be responsible and add those in. After all, this hack is serious business.

Then your character has some aspects. One is your high concept, one is your trouble, and then up to three others as you see fit. Maybe take a post-it note and paste it on your playbook.

Fill out other stuff on your playbook like it says, except skip whatever stat system it has. Replace it with the following approaches: careful, clevel, flashy, forceful, quick, and sneaky. Put +2 in one of those, +1 in another, +0 in three more, and -1 in the last one.

If you make make whatever playbook moves you have alongside this hack, more power to you. After all, this is Fate*World, where every move boils down to When you bullshit cooperatively with the GM, do something. Same goes for whatever core moves works with the playbook that you’re using.

Yeah, I’m all excited to play Fate*World with a Monsterhearts, Dungeon World, Apocalypse World, Regiment, and Warren characters.

…fuck, did I just reinvent Rifts? I think I just made Rifts.

I am so, so sorry, Internet.

Congrats to Sage and Adam. I’m looking forward to seeing Sage at Gen Con this year.[2]

As their general counsel, Evil Hat Productions, LLC has asked me to post a cease-and-desist reply for the unauthorized and improper use of their trademarked logo and various copyrights associated with the expressions of their game rules.